Penance for my Sins
by Hylander McLeod
Summary: With Wolfram and Hart's plans thwarted Angel seeks another way save Darla's life. A riddle from an unexpected guest and glimpse into the past, give Angel hope, but is the hope too great? And what of Buffy's troubles in Sunnydale. Old friends and enemies reunite once more as two paths cross again.
1. Intervention

Disclaimer- Joss Whedon owns all things Buffy.

note- writing this in parallel with My Own Worst enemy which is a precursor for this fic.

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**Intervention**

"How did you think this would end."

Angel struggled in the commando's grasp. Normally a quartet of humans, even mercenaries wouldn't pose much of a problem. His strength however, or at this moment lack of it, presented a problem. The effects of the taser had yet to wear off, and with the other two holding Darla prisoner…..

Drusilla began to glide closer to Darla, excitement in her eyes, only to suddenly fall forward.

"Obviously not like this."

All eyes turned to the door. The figure stood in the doorway, cloaked by the shadows from the dark streets and the evening sky.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Angel tore free of his captors, seeing but a gun placed to Darla's temple by one the two remaining men holding her, stopped in his tracks.

"This matter is not your concern. Leave"

The intruder took a step into the room, his features now visible to the group. The figure was male, standing just over six feet, platinum grey hair falling just shy of his shoulders, his head slightly bowed hiding the rest of his facial features from view.

"You may as well be talking to a mirror." The man's voice was cold, but nonetheless just as threatening as Wolfram and Hart's soldiers.

The men readied themselves in case of attack, but relaxed some when Drusilla, who had risen to her feet, now in full vamp face swept past them. She looked angrily at the one who kicked her. "You'll pay."

It was almost too fast to see, but Angel had caught a glance of the object strapped to the man's wrist. A fire orb hit the female vampire in the chest and vanished just as quickly.

Drusilla's game face suddenly faded, her human visage returning. "Hot."

The commandos, Darla, and even Angel had a look of utter bewilderment. Evident confusion set in on the face of each occupant in the room.

"Hot, hot." Drusilla's cries continued, her nails raking her skin seeking to remove the scorching pain within her undead body. As everyone in the room watched on, a flame burst from within the mad vampire's chest enveloping her as she screamed.

Within seconds Drusilla had vanished along with the blaze. Nothing remained to suggest she ever was there, not even a trace of her ashes.

The intruder took a step further into the room.

"That takes of the main problem." Drawing his hands behind his shoulders, he pulled out a pair for swords."Scum like this"- he paused, flipping them in his arms, reversing the grip, his eyes never falling off the Wolfram and Hart mercenaries, "- I prefer the old-fashioned approach."

Even with his vampire's senses, what happened was too fast for Angel to follow. Like a whirlwind tornado, and in the very image of one, the attacker spun through the motel room. The movements, quick and agile, done with such precision and swiftness, no of the men had chance to scream as the blows landed, the blades slicing the air and severing flesh; hitting their intended targets. Within seconds it was all over. Blood splattered the walls and carpet; heads, limbs and torsos lay out on the floor. What had been the Wolfram and Harts muscle group, was now a pile of assorted body parts.

The figure sheathed his swords and turned around, raising his bowed head.

Angel, astonished by the brutality displayed here just now, was holding a comatose Darla, having used the opportunity granted by the man's presence to grab Darla out of the clutches of the vile humans who had been about to turn her back into the thing she had now come to hate; a vampire, and, if not for the timely intervention provided, no doubt would have succeed. He knew this person: Kylar.

Their first encounter, just over two years earlier, the man had come off as smug and annoying. Angel had remembered it quite well. He had just returned from hell, spit out from Acathla's dark dimension, where he endured was the harshest of punishments and the most brutal of tortures, only to discover the presence of the intruder when he came to. The aura that vibrated off of him, though initially arrogant and sarcastic, was nothing compared to Angel was sensing now. Brains weren't his only weapon. This man was dangerous. Dangerous so much, Angel wasn't sure if his relief at the situation was rather misplaced.

Hearing movement within the room, Angel tensed up. Both men turned to the attention of the source. Lindsey McDonald, the remaining survivor of Wolfram and Hart's entourage was pressed into a corner, his eyes wide in fear.

"Lindsey McDonald."

The young lawyer looked shocked. He was certain Angel was about to beat him senseless, both for the taser and the plot, not necessarily equally for both and also not necessarily in that order. Yet it had been the other male who had addressed, one Lindsey didn't know and from what he had seen, was equally dangerous. The hard expression that framed that face, completely unreadable; much like a coiled cobra, only reinforced it. He was not looking forward to losing any more body parts.

Kylar stepped forward. His expression changed; his lips forming into a smile, his eyes brightening. "So you believe immortality to be a blessing in disguise." If possible his eyes turned even more friendly, his smile becoming wider,; broader. He approached as he spoke, his footsteps brining to an arm's length of the lawyer, who had by risen to his feet, albeit shakily, and was resting against the one wall in the room that hadn't been marred by blood.

"Forever young, forever young, I want to be forever young."

Angel knew what was coming. He could sense the depths of that facade, from the sweet sounding words, purposely spoken in that false friendly manner, to the fake smile displayed on Kylar's face.

Lindsey did not.

Being privy to such thoughts proved costly, as Kylar's left arm shot out without warning, grabbing the young lawyer by his face. The mask of a civility had fallen, the eyes once again narrowed and darkened, the smile fading away once more into the grim expression. "Do you truly want to live forever?"

Lindsey fear intensified. Briefly he wondered if it were better he had been on the receiving side of Angel's blows than the suffocating grasp of this stranger, though it unlikely the vampire would be any less merciful. He felt himself become weaker, his eyes closing despite his struggles to keep open.

Releasing his hold on the Texan, Kylar stepped away and let Lindsey drop to the ground. He turned towards Angel, who was now supporting a awaken Darla, helping her stay on her feet. "I should charge you for the dry cleaning" he stated in monotone pointing out his own blood-stained itinerary.

"Why did you help us?" Darla asked, finding her voice.

Kylar's expression didn't change. "I came to teach a lesson. Though it seems your lesson's been learned." His voice was emotionless, almost robotic. Sparing one last glance at the two the man headed for the door. He stopped at the mention of his name, turning to look at the one who had spoken.

"Please, help me save her." Angel could feel the desperation in his own words.

Kylar's expression hadn't changed. He looked the other up and down before meeting his eyes. "You ask the impossible. My art death, not life. Or didn't I demonstrate that for you?" He looked disapprovingly at Angel. "Perhaps another of your company might be better suited for such matters."

"None of my team can perform miracles and you know it." Angel replied angrily at the fighter's retreating back. He clenched his fists in frustration and anger, refusing to accept that all he had been through, the pain he endured to give Darla a second chance was for nothing.

"Are you a dwarf or a giant?"

Angel's despair increased. The reply, from what he thought had been Darla's savior, had been blunt and emotionless, a reminisce of the attitude shown during their first meeting.

Kylar took one final glance at the vampire before continuing. "Look to the past to make sense of the present. All things are made clearer through time."

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No my OC didn't pull a pryo on Drusilla, you simply have to find out later what it was


	2. Truth Within The Word

Disclaimer- Hold no ownership rights to Buffy the Vampire slayer or Angel the Series. Things would have been a hell of a lot different if I did.

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**Truth Within The Word**

Angel was motionless as Kylar left the bloodied, marred scene of the motel room. While this wasn't his first dealing with the stranger and despite his wanting, the vampire's sixth sense told him it would not doubt, not be his last. The often reserved swordsman, with his haughty and indifferent attitude, may have only softly hinted, and a less man wouldn't have picked on it, but Angel now knew, the other had come to enact punishment. Punishment for lesson not learned. Such actions were reminiscent of the ones in Sunnydale.

Still, Kylar's timely aid and intervention notwithstanding, Angel was now left with two problems to deal with. Darla's days were still numbered and on top of that there was the mess of blood and dismembered body parts in the motel room. The police would be out in full force, alerted to the scene by any random passerby with even a shred of humanity, and given the influence of Wolfram and Hart, his team would no doubt be on the receiving end of unwarranted payback. That is if Darla wouldn't be suspected first. He had to get her out of here.

Angel felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Charming guy."

Darla. Angel had been focused on the problems at hand, he had all but forgotten the presence of his former sire, now turned human, come up beside him.

"I met him before." He turned towards Darla, grabbing both her shoulders with his strong arms. "We have to get of here. Now" Taking her hand in his own , the other wrapped around her, he started leading her out of the room. A second soft hand upon his own caused him to stop.

"Wait" She said, before turning back towards Lindsey who still lay passed out by the wall. She approached the man she had took comfort in for some time; the man who idly stood by and did nothing as the crazed Drusilla almost turned her into a vampire once more.

The young lawyer's was beginning to come to, as his stirred. "Darla", he began, his voice soft, almost pleading "don't-".

Her foot connected Lindsey's torso, knocking the breath out of him and putting him back into unconsciousness. That kick was followed up by a second one to his shin. Satisfied, she walked towards Angel and took his hand. "Let's go."

* * *

"HE HASN'T CHECKED BACK.?" Cordelia Chase's scream rang through the Hyperion lobby.

Charles Gunn had opted not to be the voice, remaining where he was; leaning against one of the walls of the room.

Wesley on the other hand tried to console the woman, suggesting she calm down, though instantly regretting, the moment the words left his mouth.

The young woman continued pacing around Angel's office, the same place she'd been in for the past three and half hours, resting occasionally but still pacing most of the time. "Remain Calm?"she countered, looking the British man.

"You're asking me to remain calm while my boss is out on some haphazard scheme, probably not thinking with his head, all because he feels guilty for something that's not even his fault to begin with?" She let out a shriek before resting on one of the couches. "I swear this whole Darla thing is going to-"

The sound of the lobby doors opening caused the brunette to stop in midsentence. The three rushed out to the lobby to encounter Darla, escorted by Angel, their expressions not possibly more contrasting. The blonde woman's face seemed peaceful, accepting her of her inevitable fate. In contrast the vampire's looks was one of complete worry; of hopelessness. Whatever had transpired in the time passed, it couldn't have led to much good, given that look.

Wesley had been the first to break the silence. "Angel, what has happened?"

"Yeah C here's been acting like crazy." Gunn added.

Angel looked at his team. "I'll fill you in later. Once I've gotten her settled" he indicated towards Darla. The two began to ascend up the staircase to the second floor.

"Uh, as far from my room as possible, please" Cordelia retorted.

Angel paid no head to the woman's words, as the two kept climbing. Reaching the second floor he led Darla to the room across his, before guiding towards a chair. "You should rest." He told her before leaving.

"Angel".

He stopped at the door. He had spoken his name. _His. _Not the one of his soulless counterpart. He glanced at her.

"Thank you."

Angel nodded at her, a silent sign of thanks for acknowledgment, and closed the door.

* * *

After coming downstairs Angel relayed the story to his team, not leaving out a single detail, all from his facing the trials to Lindsey's scheme, and Kylar's, while unwanted, impeccable appearance, along with his indifferent attitude towards Angel's request.

"Let me get this straight." Gunn spoke questioningly. "This dude hacked up four mercs, put country boy in a face hold and then just walked away?"

Angel nodded.

The office was silent. No one said a word, each member of Angel Investigations lost in their own musings.

Wesley had heard mention of the mysterious intruder's earlier exploits, particularly the one involving Quentin Travers, with whom Kylar acted in a similar matter after the Slayer's Cruciamentum which resulted Giles's termination as watcher and his appointment as successor to that post. Of course, it was from Giles that he had heard the story, back when he had boasted of his mediocre skills. It was also before the Council had terminated his employment, sacked him from his position without so much as a return airline ticket, leaving him stranded on the west coast leading him in his current position: assistant to somewhat private detective involving the supernatural.

Cordelia for her part was still fixed on grueling challenges that Angel described, particularly the final two. She still did not understand why Angel was willing to risk so much, and especially for Darla of all people. What if there hadn't been a key in the pool of water? Or what if the barrage stakes truly had hit their mark instead of vanishing?

Gunn had little to think on the matter, but had more than his two cents as for what was to come. No doubt Lindsey's co-workers would be circling the wagons, grasping at straws for another plan. Question was how much should they have to worry. "So what now?"

"Get some rest." Angel answered. "Prepare for tomorrow. Wolfram and Hart won't let this go away."

* * *

Despite his own suggestion, Angel was in full thinking mode. Both rest and sleep eluded him. He lay on his bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling. His mind kept racing a mile a minute, resulting of the events of day. Darla's inevitable death, a slow and painful one much like her first would have been if the Master had not turned her during her final minutes, was still weighing on him. And the weight was quite heavy. Barring any chance of miracle she was destined to relive her old life, the difference being this time she truly would pass on. It was only a matter a time

_Time. _

Angel shot up into a sitting position. It wasn't obvious then, as he had been in complete desperation, but the hints had been there. Past. Present. Time.

"Willow."

* * *

Yes indeed. It's everyone's favorite witch.

I am also preparing the first chapter on My Own Worst Enemy. I hope to have it up in two weeks. As for my compilation stories, I may have Crime and Punishment up before Siblings in Arms as writing Faith's defection to Connor's side is a hard part to write in this. Still haven't decided if Connor would reveal being Angel's son in this one (I'm thinking Willow's, Faith's minds are still wiped of Angel ever having a son. They weren't present when Wesley smashed the Orlorn Window)


End file.
